Digital Commons Network^™

Nato Cyber Defence, 2000-2022, Ryan J. Atkinson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The emergence of more devastating and organized cyber attacks by non-attributable threat actors internationally raises questions about whether classical deterrence theory in its contemporary form has assisted important military defence alliances, like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), to adapt to the changing threat landscape. The timeline of the NATO Alliance's adaptation to external cyber threats is examined at critical historical junctures. Changes and adaptation within internal policy-making processes at NATO headquarters and its affiliated centres, think tanks, and military bases are analysed with input from informed decision-makers. The research project demonstrates that NATO policy substantively changed over the period …

Getting What You Deserve: A Philosophical And Sociological Analysis Of Punishment In America, Haley Martuscello

Honors Theses

The U.S. Penal System is known to be one of the most punitive punishment systems in the world. Many discussions around the system's approach to punishment have often used either a sociological framework or philosophical one, but rarely use both. The purpose of this thesis is to use philosophical theories of punishment and sociological observations of the current U.S. penal system to appropriately analyze the system and determine what kind of approach to punishment the system uses and what approach it should use. To do so, the thesis lays the groundwork for such analysis by establishing that the purposes of …

Regulating By New Technology: The Impacts Of The Sec Data Analytics On The Sec Investigations, Tian Deng

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Despite the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) growing emphasis on data analytics in recent years, there is scant research about whether the investment in data analytics accomplishes its objective of enhancing enforcement efficiency. This study examines the effects of the SEC regional offices’ use of data analytics on their investigation outcomes. The utilization of data analytics reduces information processing costs, thereby streamlining the enforcement process as a whole. I find that the SEC’s use of data analytics is associated with a 12% increase in the SEC’s investigation success rate. Such an improvement is greater for firms whose disclosure are more …

Evaluating The Panoptic Deterrent Effect Of Skywatch Surveillance Towers: A Mixed Methods Analysis, Penny M. Geyer

Doctoral Works at the University of New Haven

The internalization of an all-seeing gaze is an important component of crime control, whether in the form of suitable guardians, place managers, or meticulous surveillance ceremonies. Specifically, panoptic technologies have the potential to “normalize” behaviors through visible yet unverifiable surveillance. Although marketed as a technology that deters crime, SkyWatch surveillance towers’ actual deterrent effect has never been empirically evaluated. Such an assessment is critical not only from a crime reduction perspective, but also one of cost-effectiveness as these towers cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Utilizing a sequential triangulation mixed method procedure, information from 21 semi-structured interviews was combined with …

Borders, Bodies And Abuse: Exposing The Collusion Of Australia And The United States In Transnational Refugee Deterrence, Kaytlin Hancock

Master's Theses

This research explores a comparison of the use and abuse of deterrence policies, namely the externalisation of borders, and spatial control aimed to disallow entry for refugees and asylum seekers arriving by boat to both the United States and Australia. Paying particular attention to the immigration occurrences in the US from the early 1980s and present day responses in Australia, this research explores the rise in offshore detention centres and the ways in which these countries shirk their international obligations in a bid to strengthen sovereignty, by creating zones of exemption that expel refugees and asylum seekers to liminal spaces. …

A Study Of The Punishment Of Crimes By Us Federal Legislators From 1798 To 2016, Kenneth J. Grossberger

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Public distrust of government has increased because of the criminal behavior of federal legislators over time, due, at least in part, to the political effects on Congress (which causes confrontation and accusation), and therefore it is critical to study how Congress deals with the corruption of its members. This study examines the punishment of U.S. federal legislators for criminal corruption in the context of time. This was accomplished by collecting and analyzing original data by means of the multiple methods of binomial logistic regressions and content analysis. The results showed that several variables were predictive of the criminal justice and …

The Impact Of Nato´S Ballistic Missile Defense Efforts On The Relationship With Russia, Christian Hofmann

MSU Graduate Theses

Strategic missile defense or anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems are considered deterrence by denial assets. The debate on the question if these systems stabilize or destabilize the balance of power between nuclear powers is still unresolved. This work reviews this impact using the example of the East – West relationship by focusing on NATO´s missile defense efforts. This is done in two parts. The first is a historical part, reviewing the East – West relationship during the Cold War based on strategic arsenals, crisis events and arms control talks related to missile defense developments. The second part reviews the development since …

Deterrence And The Death Penalty: A Study Of The Effects Of Capital Punishment On Homicide, Jacob Stump

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The death penalty receives an abundance of criticism within the United States, as critics argue it to be cruel and an unjust form of punishment. As the debate carries on and more states illegalize the death penalty, the largest point of contention centers on the question: to what extent does the death penalty deter homicides from occurring? This analysis is critical to the implementation of the death penalty, as many legal scholars cite its ability to deter to be its strongest argument for persisting. Ultimately, any argument that undermines this theory provides a greater incentive for abolition, as the death …

Body-Worn Camera Use And Citizen Behavior During Police–Citizen Encounters, Jennifer Matthews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement officials have been increasingly using body-worn cameras (BWCs). The presence of BWCs and subsequent recordings may have a de-escalation effect on citizens, causing more self-awareness, less combativeness, and more compliance. However, additional knowledge is needed to elucidate how citizens react when they are aware their BWCs are being used. The current study was an examination of citizens’ perceptions regarding compliance during encounters with police officers equipped with BWCs. Deterrence and self-awareness theories were the theoretical framework and procedural justice was the conceptual framework used to understand citizens’ behaviors during police–citizen encounters. Participants were 13 individuals in the state …

Crime, Crisis And Economic Growth: An Investigation Of Socio-Economic Determinants Of Crimes In The Indian States, Ankita Thapa

Masters Theses

This paper investigates the impact of socio-economic conditions on five major crime heads from 2001-2019 using a panel data set for the Indian states. The paper focus on the great recession of 2008-09, economic growth of the states, and deterrence variables. The paper employed two estimation procedures: panel Fixed-Effect and two-stage least square-fixed effect (2SLS-FE). The 2SLS-FE is preferred over the fixed effect method, where poverty is treated as an endogenous variable with higher education and social sector expenditure as instrumental variables. A dummy variable is used for the period of the great recession. A square of state GDP per …

Us Strategic Culture, Homeland Ballistic Missile Defense, And Mutual Vulnerability, Jacob T. Blank

MSU Graduate Theses

Strategic scholars have long understood the indispensable linkage between culture and security policymaking. By shaping the perceptions through which decision-makers formulate security policy, strategic culture analysis adds vital context to the perilously difficult science of understanding and predicting state security outputs. One area where this analytical framework fails to generate the expected result is American missile defense policy. Salient themes of US strategic culture, including an optimistic and problem-solving mindset, positive role of machines, and ahistorical exceptionalism, are reflected in the American way of war – a technologically driven, leadership casualty averse, moralistic, apolitical, and firepower focused enterprise. These factors …

Human Rights Violations And Migrants' Deaths Across The United States And Mexico Border: A Policy Analysis, Mayra Arredondo-Garcia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

For this thesis project, the research question will be the following: “How do United States immigration policies contribute to the rising death and deportations of migrants across the United States and Mexico border?” Immigration policies is a widely debated political topic and often used as a but public debate often neglects to thoroughly consider the effects on the everyday lives of immigrants and their communities. It is essential to further research into immigration policies, their impacts on migrant communities and the implications for human rights. This research is intended to extend the understanding how the militarization of the border has …

How Competition Undermines Deterrence, Kayse Jansen

MSU Graduate Theses

The re-emergence of great power competition has brought with it a U.S. government-wide initiative to reclaim and strengthen advantage and influence across all elements of national power. Competition is considered necessary to secure American interests and protect the existing liberal international order, as well as uphold deterrence by enhancing the nation’s ability to impose costs and deny benefits. This view, however, neglects a critical factor in deterrence: the cost of restraint, which reflects the acceptability of the status quo. Paradoxically, the more successful the nation is at “competition,” the less likely it may be in important deterrence situations. Successful diplomatic …

The Examination Of The Role And Challenges Of The International Criminal Court In The Enforcement Of Laws Regarding Crimes Against Humanity And Genocide In Africa, Reine Andrea Kouakou

Culminating Projects in Criminal Justice

Abstract

The goal of this study is to have a better understanding of the dynamics of the International Criminal Court, the challenges faced by this court in Africa, and the different assessments made by scholars related to the Court. This study responds to these two research questions: What are the challenges faced by the International Criminal Court specifically regarding Africa? Do the challenges outweigh the advantages of this court? The study is a qualitative exploratory research that is based on an inductive content analysis which explores the different perspectives on the International Criminal Court.

The target population for this study …

On The Brink: The Impact Of Nuclear Weapons On Conflict Behavior Between States, Georgia Wood

CMC Senior Theses

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of nuclear weapons on conflict behavior between states. Using the Soviet Union and China engaging in conflict with the United States from 1950 to 1965 as case studies, this paper provides support for the theory that nuclear weapons do impact conflict behavior. It was found that newer nuclear states will rely on bold brinkmanship strategies while older nuclear states will rely on deterrence. Non-nuclear states will use avoidance and deterrence when engaging in conflict with a nuclear power.

Keywords: nuclear weapons, deterrence, brinkmanship, conflict, conflict behavior

Deterrence And Response Improvements For A Large-Scale Cyberterrorism Attack, Harrison Cunningham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A successful large-scale cyberterrorism attack has never been conducted against the United States, yet cyberterrorism is a real and evolving threat. The United States assumes a largely defensive posture toward the thousands of daily cyberattacks conducted against the country, allowing cyberterrorists to probe and execute cyberattacks with broad impunity. The United States would most likely respond to a successful large-scale cyberterrorism attack within a framework of regulations concerning physical acts of terrorism since no policy exists on how to respond to major cyberterrorism attacks. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of U.S. terrorism and cybersecurity …

Integrating Psychological Theory Into The Legal Doctrine Of Deterrence, Alexander G. Parseghian

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The deterrence principle within the field of criminology is essential in preventing deviant behavior before its commission and defines the relationship individuals have with an institution’s system of punishment. Deterrence was originally studied solely among criminal populations, but modern deterrence theory broadens the definition of crime to actions relevant to the general population through any act societal values would proscribe. The addition of psychological principles to deviance research and the usage of university student populations has highlighted academic dishonesty as a prolific deviant behavior outcome variable. Criminological researchers have identified factors that complement or mirror psychological and educational theory, yet …

Examining The Criminogenic Effect Of Imprisonment On Drug Offender Recidivism, Tiffany Jean Vedder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have found criminogenic consequences of imprisonment when testing the deterrence hypothesis, yet few studies were found that examined the magnitude of post release criminal offenses among the drug offender population. The specific deterrence and criminogenic effects of imprisonment were the theoretical frameworks that guided this study of Harris County, Texas, to determine if incarceration predicted serious reoffending among low-level drug offenders. A Journal of Science and Law (Scilaw) archival dataset based on Harris County court records was used to build the sample. Chi-squared test of association and logistic regression statistics were used to analyze a sample of first-time drug …

Exploring Contemporary Counterterrorism And Perspectives Of Terrorism Experts To Combat Boko Haram, Enyinaya Njoku

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within the last decade, the terrorist attacks by Boko Haram have been the topic of considerable scholarly focus; yet, there remains a lack of knowledge and understanding about the causes of failure in counterterrorism measures by the Nigerian government in Borno State. Using Wilner’s contemporary deterrence theory as the foundation, the purpose of this case study of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) was to bridge the gap in knowledge to understand the causes of failure in counterterrorism measures by the Nigerian government and to explore alternate approaches to the counterterrorism efforts in Borno State to deter Boko Haram. Data were …

Behavioral Effects Of Restrictive Housing On Prisoners, Mijin Kim

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Restrictive housing (RH) is a complicated and controversial management tool used by local, state, and federal correctional agencies. Unlike previous studies that predominantly examined the psychological harms of restrictive housing placement, this study aims to extend the understanding of the use of restrictive housing, the conditions and specific utility of restrictive housing, and how such use can impact inmates’ subsequent behavioral outcomes or misconducts inside of the correctional facility. Restrictive housing data from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PADOC) was used to identify the differential impact of different types of restrictive housing (i.e., administrative, disciplinary, and protective RH) through a …

Persuasion, Political Warfare, And Deterrence: Behavioral And Behaviorally Robust Models, William N. Caballero

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines game theory models in the context of persuasion and competition wherein decision-makers are not completely rational by considering two complementary threads of research. The first thread of research pertains to offensive and preemptively defensive behavioral models. Research in this thread makes three notable contributions. First, an offensive modeling framework is created to identify how an entity optimally influences a populace to take a desired course of action. Second, a defensive modeling framework is defined wherein a regulating entity takes action to bound the behavior of multiple adversaries simultaneously attempting to persuade a group of decision-makers. Third, an …

Utilizing Strategic Culture As A Tool To Tailor U.S. Deterrence Policy Towards Iran, Ryan P. Taylor

MSU Graduate Theses

The geostrategic environment since the end of the Cold War has drastically changed the way United States (U.S.) policymakers develop strategies to combat a wide range of hostile threats facing the country, especially in the field of the deterrence of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Iran is such an actor, who poses one of the greater proliferation threats in the world and continues to commit hostile actions in the Middle East. In this post-Cold War environment, it is imperative that the United States develop a tailored deterrence strategy to meet this challenge. Past deterrence strategies popular during the bipolar era …

Disaggregating The United States Military: An Analysis Of The Current Organizational And Management Structure Of U.S. National Security Policy As It Relates To Military Operations In Space, Joseph M. Zeman

MSU Graduate Theses

This thesis was written to provide the reader with a comprehensive assessment about the realities of the current organizational and management structure of United States national security policy as it relates to the conduct of military operations in space. To create an encompassing argument, this thesis considers the current organizational structure of United States space policy while acknowledging that space has, in fact, become a warfighting domain. A reorganization of this magnitude has the potential to generate a succinct chain of command for military space operations while condensing the space acquisitions process and ultimately providing military space operations with the …

The Us-Japan Alliance And China's Rise: Alliance Strategy And Reassurance, Deterrence, And Compellence, Erik David French

Dissertations - ALL

Do changes in US alliance strategy toward Japan affect the US’ ability to succeed in reassuring, deterring, and compelling a rising China? This study contends that when the US pursues a distancing strategy toward from Japan, Japan adopts hedging strategies that may undercut US reassurance, deterrence, and compelling China. When the US pursues increased coordination with Japan, however, Japan increases its support for US policy toward China. Stronger Japanese support for US policy, in turn, strengthens the US’ ability to reassure, deter, and compel China. In making this argument, this study speaks to ongoing policy debates over the US-Japan alliance …

It's About Time: Length Of Incarceration, Gang Membership, And Recidivism Among Illinois Prison Releasees, Henry Douglas Otto

Master's Theses

This study explored the effect of time spent incarcerated on recidivism among a sample of individuals released from IDOC facilities from 2011 to 2014 (N = 72,716). Gang members were compared to non-gang members in order to evaluate the potentially heterogeneous nature of the effect of length of stay on recidivism within the competing frameworks of deterrence theory and social learning theory. The samples were further split into separate analyses based on the current felony class, and length of stay was operationalized as incarceration in months and split into quartiles based on the distribution of each felony class sample. The …

The Impacts Of Hiv-Specific Criminal Laws On Hiv Serostatus Disclosure, Risk Behaviors, And Hiv Testing, Shao-Chiu Juan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Before the advent of anti-retroviral therapy (ART), many states enacted and strictly enforced laws that criminalized HIV transmission. These laws were enacted to prevent HIV-infected individuals from knowingly transmitting the virus to the uninfected. Over the past two decades, however, questions have been raised regarding the effectiveness of HIV criminalization and its unintended consequences. For example, there is little evidence that the criminalization of HIV transmission has been effective in reducing the spread of the disease, particularly when compared to education and other prevention efforts. Moreover, stigmatization associated with criminalization may actually undermine public health efforts. The dissertation aims to …

Midnight In America: Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse And The 21st Century Threat To The United States, Angela Weaver

MSU Graduate Theses

The electromagnetic pulse (EMP) effects produced by the detonation of a nuclear weapon at high altitude are capable of causing widespread destruction in the U.S. homeland with few to no immediate casualties. The threat of nuclear EMP attack against the United States was recognized as probable during the Cold War but as time passed, the threat lost consciousness among U.S. policy makers as other issues and threats rose to the forefront. Simultaneously, the United States military and civilian society grew increasingly reliant upon emerging electronic systems and capabilities while adversary nations and rogue states rapidly pursued nuclear weapons capabilities. Today, …

Testing Specific Deterrence In The National Basketball Association: An Application Of Beccaria's Theory Of Deterrence, Michael Mccutcheon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the concept of deterrence has been applied to punishment in America’s criminal justice system, the empirical data is mixed on whether is effectively deters crime. This lack of consensus may be a result of missing elements from deterrence theory; namely, that punishment is often neither swift nor certain. Similar to the criminal justice system, professional sports leagues aim to control behavior of athletes by having guidelines that, when violated, result in punishment. However, these punishments are delivered much quicker and there is a higher level of certainty. The current study examines specific deterrence in the National Basketball Association by …

Challenges Of Implementing Defense Policies To Deter Hostile Actors In Space And Cyberspace, Stephan Dwayne Bjerring Powers

MSU Graduate Theses

Space and cyber operations have changed national security for both nations and non-state actors worldwide. The low barriers to entry have allowed less sophisticated nations and actors to have an impact on the U.S. and near-peer nations. The lack of attribution and the ability to obfuscate the source of the space or cyber weapon will make the case for wartime retaliation difficult. The highly proactive antisatellite weapons test conducted by China in 2007 and the alleged employment of Stuxnet against Iran's nuclear program by the United States and Israel illustrates the potentially destabilizing effects to high priority national programs. If …

Determining The Significance Of Alliance Pathologies In Bipolar Systems: A Case Of The Peloponnesian War From 431-421 Bce, Anthony Lee Meyer

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The literature proposes that bipolar systems and international systems with nuclear weapons will not have significant issues with alliance pathologies. But are alliance pathologies really insignificant in Bipolar Systems? The problem is that the literature only describes bipolar systems with nuclear weapons, so one cannot discern whether bipolarity or nuclear weapons alone are responsible for the insignificance of these alliance pathologies. So to solve this problem, this paper will examine a bipolar system in Classical Greece during the time of the Peloponnesian War to isolate any possible influence that nuclear weapons may have on alliance pathologies. This will be done …